Plant-setter.



J. H. MASTERS, DEOD.

0. v. MASTERS, nxnomxnx.

PLANT SEITBR.

m N w D x V n d L i H W H m w u n A 6. A 1 2 x W 3+ 0 VA 0 7 x 2 J 1 1 9wnlllll Iv THE NORRIS PETERS CO., PHOTO-LITHQ, WASHINGTON. D C

dAE @TNT JOSEPH H. MASTERS, DECEASED, LATE OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, BYCLARISSA V. MASTERS, EXECUTRIX, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PLANT-SETTER.

Application filed June 5, 1913.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that Josnrr-r H. MAs'rnas,deceased, late a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, inthe county of Cook and State of Illinois, did invent certain new anduseful Improvements in Plant-Setters, of which the following is adescription.

The invention relates to that general class of devices known as plantsetters, or the like, and particularly to a device for setting andplanting tobacco, cabbage, tomatoes, and similar plants, that areusually first grown in beds and later transplanted and set in the fieldfor further development.

The invention has among its objects the production of a device of thekind described that is simple, convenient, efficient, durable andsatisfactory, that may be used wherever found applicable.

The present invention is in the nature of an improvement over the deviceshown and described in U. S. Letters Patent No. 617 ,403, issued tothedeceased on January 10, 1899.

To this end the invention consists in the novel construction,arrangement and combination of parts herein shown and described, andmore particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like orcorresponding parts, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the preferred formof device. Fig. 2 is also a side elevation of the same, turned to showanother side. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 3,3 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is substantially a cross sectional view taken online 4, 4 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, 1 and 2 are casings connected to form a waterreservoir adapted to accommodate a considerable quantity of water, andalso to make the same of convenient height or length when carried, ashereafter described. Secured to the lower end of the part .1, is ashovel 3, and pivotally secured to the shovel 3 or to the part 1, orboth, at 5, is a cooperating shovel 4;. Extending to the interior of thepart 1, and arranged to discharge between the shovels, is a plant tube6, which is preferably open at the bottom at or below the partition 7,which forms the bottom for the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 8, 1914.

Serial No. 771,838.

water reservoir. At the bottom of the reservoir is a discharge openingor outlet, which is normally closed by a valve 8, controlled ashereafter described.

At the upper part of the reservoir is arranged a carrying handle 9, theends of which are extended down at 10 for attachment to the casing 2.The handle part is also extended under as at 9 to form a convenient andcomfortable grip for carrying the device. As previously mentioned. theshovel 4 is pivotally secured at 5 to the other shovel. or to the lowerend of the easing 1. so that it may be opened. The shovel is providedwith an extended part 11. to which the operating rod 12 mav be attached.The rod shown is looped under the same and extended up upon each side ofthe plant tube 6, the ends being secured to levers 15, which areextended in the form of a bell crank. the ends of which are connected toform a loop 16. The bell crank 15-16 is pivotally secured at 17 to thehandle 9. and the pivot or pin extends through the bandle. the pin beingextended as at 19 on one or both sides to form stops. and preferablysoldered or otherwise secured to the part 1516. The stops alwavsmaintain the lei'e s in posit on for readv use.

The pivoted shovel 4- is normallv maintained in the position shown inthe drawings. or closed. by a res lient member .21. or equivalent means.As shown. the spring. or resilient member. cons sts of a looped part,which is engaged and maintained in position bv a loop 20 on thereservoir part 1. the ends being extended and thence bent over the edgeof the sho el. as at 22. so as to engage the same. The shovel part 4 mayalso be p ovided with stops 23. one on each side. hen it is desired toopen the shovels or separate them. the lever a m 16 is depressed.therebv raising the end 15. and consequently pulling on the loop 11, andmoving the shovel 4 so that there is a space between the two. that is.opening it. As soon as the end or lever 16 is released. the spring 21forces the shovel back to the closed position shown in the drawings.

Secured to the valve 8 is an operating rod 2-1, which rod may be securedto the valve by a nut 25, or its equivalent. As shown,

the bottom of the reservoir is formed so as to provide a valve seat 7for the valve. When it is desired to open the valve to permit water topass down between the shovels, the valve rod 24 is depressed. To controland operate the valve rod, a resilient member 26 is provided, the samebeing preferably looped as at 27 and 29, so as to give resiliency, oneend being secured at 28 to the casing 2, and the other end 30 beingextended up through the handle and provided with a push button 81. Thevalve rod 2a is preferably adjustably secured to the part 26 by a nut32, or equivalent means, so that it may be adjusted for wear or easilyrenewed.

W hen it is desired to open the valve, the button 31 is depressed, andwhen the same is released, the resiliency of the part 26 draws the valveclosed. 'Where the valve and valve seat are constructed substantially asshown, the same does not become easily clogged or stopped'up,particularly where fertilizer is mixed with the water in the reservoir.The valve itself may be made 'of rubber or any other suitable material.

By flanging the bottom of the reservoir upwardly, as shown, the valvemechanism is very simple and the cost of manufacture is greatly reduced.The shovels may be and are preferably provided with the lips 3i and 35,for covering the roots, as hereafter described in the operation of thedevice.

Owing to the modified construction of the device, its operation isslightly different than the device illustrated in the patent mentioned.In setting the plant, the operator presses downwardly upon the handle 9,so as to force the shovels into the desired depths. When the land isnice and mellow,

the weight of the setter when about twothirds full of water, will malrethe hole plenty deep enough for ordinary plants. The button 31 is nowdepressed, letting the water pass down into the ground between theshovels. The plant is then dropped down to'enter the planter jaws, andthe operator then lifts the setter, at the same time pressing gently onthe looped lever 16, which opens the aws. The plant and water will beleft in the ground at the bottom of the hole, and the operator can thenkick the dirt on top of the water and roots, if necessary or desired, orcan cover the plant roots by giving the setter a slight turn, when thelips 34: and 35 on the sides of. the shovel will scoop in dirt enough tocover.

It is, of course, obvious that numerous immaterial changes may be madein the form, construction and combination of parts of the apparatusshown without departing I from the spirit of the invention; hence it isnot wished to limit the invention to the exact construction orarrangement of parts shown and described What I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is g 1. In a plant setter, the combinationof a casing provided with a bottom proximate the lower end thereof, saidbottom upwardly flanged to form a valve seat on the lower face thereof,and with an opening there through at said seat, a carrying handle rangedat the upper end of the casing, a

valve arranged below said bottom, a rod,

secured to said valve andextending through said opening to the upperpart of the casing, a looped resilient member having one end secured tothe casing near the top on' at said handle adjacent to said button onsaid looped resilient member and connected to said pivoted shovel forcontrolling the operation thereof, means for limiting the movement ofsaid shovel controlling means and an unobstructed plant tube extendingthrough the wall of the casing and terminating below the bottom thereof,arranged to discharge between the shovels below the bottom of thecasing.

The combination in a plant setter, of a reservoir and a plant tubearranged at one side of the reservoir and projecting therein, a pair ofshovels carried by the reservoir at the lower end thereof, one of saidshovels being movable relative the other, said reservoir provided with acarrying handle at the upper end thereof, a resilient valve-controllingmember secured to the reservoir'and extending through the handle to theupper face thereof, a rod adjustably secured to 7 said resilient memberand extended through er secured to the lower end of said rod, a

bell-crank member secured to said handle the bell-crank on each side ofthe plant tube and connectedto the shovel.

3. In a device of the kind described and in combination, a fluidreservoir having a discharge opening in the lower end thereof, a pair ofshovels secured to said reservoir, one of said shovels movable relativethe other, means for normally maintaining said shovel ,in closedposition, means for posi- In testimony whereof, I have hereunto 10tively opening the shovel as desired, a valve signed my name in thepresence of two submember for said discharge opening, an operating rodextending from said valve memscribing Witnesses.

her to proximate the top of the reservoir, CLARISSA V. MASTERS, meansarranged at the top of the reservoir Emecum'w of the estate of Joseph H.Masfor controlling said valve rod, a plant tube ters, deceased.

secured to said reservoir and extending Witnesses: therelnto with itsdischarge opening below EDWIN L. MAs'rnns, the lower end of saldreservolr. B. A. VEALE.

Copies of this patent may he obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner 01. Patents.

Washington, D. G.

